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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;JDcompy, post: 24883435, member: 152162&quot;]This has been on my mind a lot - regarding stamp collecting and coin collecting (but will limit my post to just coins).</p><p><br /></p><p>When I was a kid, I collected coins. But, money was scarce (10-15 years old) so I only ever bought &#039;the cheap stuff&#039;. I figured I&#039;d grow up, get a job, and then I can afford Pre-1965 dimes and quarters (which at the time sold for 50-75 cents each). But, when I got older and back into collecting, the value of silver sky rocketed and again it feels like collecting dimes and quarters is so expensive.</p><p><br /></p><p>When I go to the coin shops, a lot of coins are high-priced. But, the fun of collecting REALLY is in the &quot;roll hunting&quot;, right? Of course, no one uses change/cash anymore so I go to the bank and take home a full box of quarters or half dollars or dollars. But, after 2002, half dollars are no longer produced for circulation. And, after 2011, dollar coins are no longer produced for circulation. Maybe I&#039;ll find 3-5 coins in an entire box of 500 dollars. Now, if I want a current dollar coin for my collection I have limited options: I can buy directly from the mint at a premium. I can let someone else buy in bulk (at a premium) from the mint and pay $3-5 for that dollar on eBay. Basically, if I want to collect half dollars/dollars, I&#039;m just buying my collection. Where&#039;s the fun in that?</p><p><br /></p><p>The mint is producing a penny, a nickel, a dime, 4 quarters (both clad and silver), and 4-5 dollars. Along with standard strikes, there are proofs and now reverse proofs - all at a premium for the collector.</p><p><br /></p><p>Maybe it&#039;s unrealistic to think I should be able to collect &quot;all&quot; the coins - even if they are the modern ones.. but.. it just feels so expensive these days. How can kids or newcomers to the hobby ever join in? It feels to me like, with the price of metals going up, the price of older coins going up, and more and more of the new coins becoming &quot;collector only&quot; editions, coin collecting may die out in the next 20-25 years.</p><p><br /></p><p>No one I know (that I know of) collects coins or understands the hobby (and I have tried to ask around a bit). Coin shops seem to be turning into &quot;silver and gold&quot; shops. Even the shops that sell coins seem to have a majority of their customers buying and selling silver. It just seems such a shame. Is it just a result of the times? Is the mint making it harder to collect? Am I seeing it wrong?</p><p><br /></p><p>What do you all think? Is the hobby dying? Or can future generations join in? <b></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>I&#039;d Love to hear some thoughts/opinions on this! </b>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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